Autry Museum of the American West facts for kids
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| Former name | Autry National Center |
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| Established | 2003 |
| Location | 4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park Los Angeles, California |
| Type | Western and American Indian |
The Autry Museum of the American West is a fascinating museum in Los Angeles, California. It's a place where you can explore the rich and diverse history of the American West. The museum was founded in 1988 and welcomes about 150,000 visitors every year.
Here, you'll find a wide variety of exhibits and fun activities. These include talks, movies, theater shows, and family events. The Autry Museum also does important research and educational outreach to help everyone learn more about the West.
In 2013, the museum updated some of its main galleries. The Irene Helen Jones Parks Gallery of Art and the Gamble Firearms Gallery were redesigned. This allowed the museum to show items based on interesting themes, not just in order of time. Paintings, crafts, photos, and videos are now displayed together in new and exciting ways.
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Museum Locations
The Autry Museum of the American West has a main site and a special resource center. They are about 8 miles apart.
Griffith Park Main Site
The main museum is located at 4700 Western Heritage Way in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California. This is where most of the exhibitions and public programs take place. It's also right across from the Los Angeles Zoo.
Special Collections and Storage
The museum also has a Resources Center in Burbank, California. This center stores many items from the collection. It also includes a special space for indigenous people. This space allows them to use items from the collection in their traditional ceremonies. The former Southwest Museum of the American Indian building in Mt. Washington is now closed.
A Look at Autry's History
The Autry Museum was started in 1988 by the famous actor and businessman Gene Autry. He wanted to create a place to share the full story of the American West. This includes its many cultures and why the West is so important.
Gene Autry's Vision
The Griffith Park collection holds over 21,000 items. These include paintings, sculptures, costumes, and tools. You can also see toys, musical instruments, and firearms. The museum features both old and new exhibitions. It also offers year-round programs for kids and special discussions.
In 2003, the Autry Museum added the collection from the Southwest Museum of the American Indian. This greatly expanded its holdings related to Native American cultures.
Evolving Exhibitions
The 4,000-square-foot Parks Gallery was updated in 2013. It is now organized into three main themes. These themes are Religion and Ritual, Land and Landscape, and Migration and Movement. The main museum also has two smaller galleries with changing exhibits.
The Gamble Firearms Gallery was also renovated in 2013. It now shows how firearms were used in the Old West. Curators grouped firearms by themes like hunting, technology's impact, and the West in popular culture. This gallery is part of a larger exhibit called "Western Frontiers: Stories of Fact and Fiction."
From 2004 to 2015, the museum was known as the "Autry National Center of the American West." However, in October 2015, it changed its name back to "Autry Museum of the American West." This change was made to highlight its main role as a museum.
Amazing Collections
The Autry Museum has some truly incredible collections. They help us understand the diverse history and cultures of the American West.
Native American Treasures
The Autry's Southwest Museum of the American Indian Collection is one of the most important collections of Native American art in the United States. It is second only to the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian. This huge collection has 238,000 pieces!
It includes 14,000 baskets, 10,000 ceramic items, and 6,300 textiles. There are also more than 1,100 pieces of jewelry. These items represent the work of indigenous peoples from Alaska all the way to South America. The collection especially focuses on cultures from California and the Southwestern United States.
Research and Learning Resources
The Library and Archives of the Autry combines the collections of the Braun Research Library and the Autry Library. It's a special place for researchers to study Western history and arts. In 2002, the Women of the West Museum from Colorado joined with the Autry. This helped the Autry to focus more on the experiences of women in the American West.
Engaging Programs
The Autry Museum offers unique programs that bring history and culture to life.
Native Voices Theater
Since 1995, Native Voices at the Autry has been a very special theater program. It is the only theater group dedicated to producing new plays by Native American, Alaska Native, and First Nation writers. Randy Reinholz and Jean Bruce Scott have led this program for over 30 years.
Native Voices has created many full plays and gone on numerous tours. They have also held many new play festivals. This program is a key part of the Autry's mission. It helps to share the art, history, and cultures of the American West.
